Charlotte Cane MP Congratulates Parish Council Gold Award
Charlotte Cane, MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, has congratulated the work of local parish councils in an Early Day Motion, after Haddenham Parish Council received the Gold Award under the National Association of Local Councils’ Local Council Award Scheme 2026.
The National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) Local Council Award Scheme recognises councils at the forefront of good practice, with an excellent standard of community governance, community leadership and performance management. Gold is the highest level of accreditation a council can receive, and is awarded after assessment of all area’s of the council’s work.
Charlotte congratulated the achievement of Haddenham Parish Council in their service to the communities of Haddenham and Aldreth, and used the opportunity to also recognise the Silver Award received by Cottenham Parish Council, also in the Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency, in April 2024.
Charlotte also acknowledged the important work of NALC in supporting local councils with important advice, training, and resources, and representing the sector at a national level.
Speaking about her motion, Charlotte said:
“Parish and town councils are at the heart of our communities. They give residents a voice, champion local priorities and do an enormous amount of work, often behind the scenes, to make our villages and towns better places to live.
“Through my work with parish and town councils across Ely and East Cambridgeshire, I see first-hand the dedication and commitment of councillors and clerks who work tirelessly for their communities.
“Haddenham Parish Council's Gold Award is a fantastic achievement and thoroughly deserved recognition of that commitment. I'm delighted to be celebrating their success in Parliament, while also recognising the invaluable contribution made by parish and town councils right across our constituency.”
Tor Taylor, clerk of Haddenham Parish Council, commented:
“Achieving the NALC Gold Award is a fantastic recognition of the Council’s commitment to high standards, strong governance and putting our community at the heart of everything we do. It reflects the hard work of councillors, staff and volunteers, and our ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible service for the residents of Haddenham & Aldreth. Looking ahead, we are committed to sustaining these high standards, building on what we have achieved and continually seeking ways to improve the services we provide for residents.”
Stephen Thompson, Chair of Haddenham Parish Council, said:
“The councillors, staff and in particular our parish clerk have worked incredibly hard on various projects in our community. This NALC Gold Award is gratefully received by the council. Volunteering your time as a parish councillor is not a role that always yields positive feedback. As with other public facing roles, it is more common and natural to hear from residents who disagree with our plans and decisions. So receiving such a prestigious award that recognises the amount of thought and effort we have put into the community is terrifically motivating. Our 3-year plan has been published and provides us with challenging targets that we hope to achieve.”